Detroit would be better served to plow money back into its farm system, rather than to pursue free agents.

What is a realistic goal for the Tigers in 2004? How
many games can they possibly hope to win and, more
importantly, how many games should they try to win?
By this I mean, how much should they spend in the free
agent market this off-season? Do they have enough
funds available to even bother with free agents?
Clearly, they are not going to pursue or be pursued by
any of the A-list players like Miguel Tejada, Vladimir
Guerrero, Kevin Millwood or Andy Pettitte. Does this
leave them in a position wherein they only have enough
money to land players who will only perpetuate their
losing ways?

Walker

Gene Guidi of the Detroit Free Press notes that the
Tigers haven't gone after any free agents since Craig
Paquette. "Unfortunately for everyone concerned, they
got him," he rightly adds. What, past the big names
that are getting all the hype, is left for a team like
Detroit? Guidi suggests they might go after a second
baseman like Todd Walker or Pokey Reese or perhaps an
outfielder like Reggie Sanders or Jose Cruz, Jr. When
Comerica Park was built it was hoped that its
pitcher-friendly confines would lure moundsmen bent on
making their numbers look good. Unfortunately, this
has not been the case as the Tigers have surrounded
their pitchers with a lineup that in no way resembles
the early to mid-'60s Dodgers, a prime example of a
supportive offense trapped in a pitcher's paradise.
Guidi suggests the team should target pitchers like
Pat Hentgen, Brian Anderson or Corey Lidle and let the
big boys fight over the big names.

Getting back to the original question: what is the
goal here? Should the Tigers make moves just to give
the public the notion that they are trying to improve?
History tells us that they are bound to improve no
matter what they do. Let's take a look at the teams
that came the year after some of the worst seasons in
history -- group the Tigers joined with their 2003
effort: